The book, by father-daughter team Ron and Jennifer Kujawski, guides new gardeners one week at a time through the work involved in growing food. It covers everything from choosing a good spot for a garden to preserving the harvest, with plenty of tips on planting properly, coping with pests and diseases, managing weeds and all sorts of common gardening issues.

What sets the book apart is its ability to be customized to the reader's region. The timing of the tasks in the book is based on the average date of the last frost in your area, so you just have to do a little calculating.

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"Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook" is published by Storey Publishing and sells for $14.95 in wire-bound softcover.

Put a damper on drafty attic vents

A new device is designed to prevent heat from escaping your home in winter through turbine attic vents.

The Turbine Boss is a louvered damper that fits inside the vent assembly and closes automatically when the temperature drops to 40 degrees. That slows the loss of heated air that can be sucked from your living spaces into your attic through little cracks and openings on a windy day.

Inventor Tom Clark said the device can reduce winter heat loss by 80 percent. An adjustable stop keeps the louvers from closing completely, so moisture can still escape.

The damper opens when the temperature reaches 80 degrees, allowing the vent to exhaust hot air in summer. The louvers are controlled by a coil that contracts in the cold and expands in the heat, so no power source is needed.

The Turbine Boss can be ordered for $29.95 plus shipping at TurbineBoss.com.

Claw hammer is toolbox basic

Q: How do you pick out a hammer? There are so many choices.

A: A claw hammer is the most versatile type for everyday use. One with a curved rather than straight claw will give you more leverage in prying out nails.

John D. Wagner, a green building consultant and writer from Montpelier, Vt., recommends a 16-ounce claw hammer. For light use such as hanging pictures, a hammer with a hickory handle is fine, he said. For heavier use, however, he recommends spending more for a hammer with an ergonomic, vibration-absorbing handle.